The present invention relates to footwear and, more particularly, to a footwear construction and method for making the same.
There is an ongoing effort in the footwear industry to produce footwear that provides stability and a high level of comfort. Such footwear is targeted toward individuals who commute in urban environments, who travel on foot for significant distances on hard surfaces (e.g., concrete floors), or who require comfortable, yet stable footwear.
Conventional footwear constructions, however, provide one of stability or comfort—but usually not both—because the features required for these characteristics typically negate one another. For example, one construction known for its stability includes a heel cup positioned in the heel of the footwear. The heel cup wraps upward around the user's heel, and terminates short of the arch region. The heel cup firmly seats the user's foot in the footwear, and minimizes roll of the user's heel when the heel is properly seated in the heel cup.
Although this construction provides stability of the foot in the heel region, it fails to provide stability and torsion resistance for the remainder of the foot. Furthermore, the region where the heel cup terminates in the arch region undergoes significant stresses due to the twisting of heel cup. Accordingly, the heel cup can cause premature de-lamination or destruction of other footwear components, thereby shortening the useful life of the footwear.
At the end of the footwear spectrum, opposite heel cup constructions, are constructions built primarily for comfort, for example, casual shoe constructions. In these “comfort” constructions, a midsole and/or outsole is secured to an upper. The outsole usually is constructed from a hard wearing material. The midsole usually is constructed of a soft material such as polyurethane or ethylvinyl acetate to provide a layer of shock-absorption material. Although this construction provides comfortable cushioning for the wearer's foot, the soles wear out and the uppers detach from the soles in a short time. Moreover, the transition between the upper and the sole of such constructions typically are abrupt and aesthetically displeasing.
Although different constructions exist that provide either stability of comfort, there remains an unmet need for a footwear construction that provides the best of both requirements.